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THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
1 he National Nurseryman. 
C. L. YATES, Proprietor. RALPH T. OLCOTT, Editor. 
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY 
The National Nurseryman Publishing Co., 
305 Cox Building, Rochester, N. Y. 
The only trade journal issued for Growers and Dealers in Nursery Stock of 
all kinds. It circulates throughout the United States and Canada. 
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSERYMEN. 
AWARDED THE GRAND PRIZE AT PARIS EXPOSITION, 1900. 
SUBSCRIPTION RATES. 
One year, in advance, _____ $1.00 
Six Months, ------ .75 
Foreign Subscriptions, in advance, - - - 1.50 
Six Months, “ “ 1.00 
Advertising rates will be sent upon application. Advertisements 
should reach this office by the 20th of the month previous to the date 
of issue. 
Payment in advance required for foreign advertisements. Drafts 
on New York or postal orders, instead of checks, are requested. 
Correspondence from all points and articles of interest to nursery¬ 
men and horticulturists are cordially solicited. 
AflERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSERYMEN. 
President, Robert C. Berckmans, Augusta, Ga.; vice-president, R. J. 
Coe, Fort Atkinson, Wis.; secretary, George C. Seager, Rochester, 
N. Y.; treasurer, C. L. Yates, Rochester, N. Y. 
Executive Committee—Peter Youngers, Geneva, Neb.; N. W. Hale, Knoxville, 
Term.; William Pitkin, Rochester, N. Y. 
Committee on Transportation—A. L. Brooke, N. Topeka, Kan.; William Pit¬ 
kin, Rochester, N. Y.; Peter Youngers, Geneva, Neb.; N. W. Hale, Knox¬ 
ville, Tenn. 
Committee on Legislation—C. L. Watrous, Des Moines, la.; Silas Wilson, At¬ 
lantic, la.; Charles J. Brown, Rochester, N. Y.; Howard A. Chase, Phila¬ 
delphia, Pa. 
Committee on Tariff—Irving Rouse, Rochester, N. Y.; J. H. Dayton, Paines- 
ville, O.; Thomas B. Meehan, Germantown, Pa. 
Annual convention for 1902—At Milwaukee, Wis., June 11-12. 
Entered in the Post Office at Rochester , as second-class mail matter. 
Rochester, N. Y., December, 1901. 
SEED DISTRIBUTION. 
A despatch from Washington announces that the annual 
seed distribution by the Department of Agriculture will begin 
about December 1 st. The nurserymen are more particularly 
interested in the date of the promised free distribution of trees 
by the department. 
It will be remembered that at the annual convention of the 
American Association at Niagara Falls last June a resolution 
was adopted to the effect that it was the sense of the associa¬ 
tion in convention assembled that it is unqualifiedly opposed 
to the free distribution of nursery stock in any form by the 
government, and that the subject be referred to the committee 
on legislation with power to act. In the issue of the National 
Nurseryman of last May was published a letter from B. T. 
Galloway, director of the Bureau of Plant Industry, stating 
what the department proposed to do. In that letter Mr. Gal¬ 
loway said: 
“ It is not intended by any means to make a promiscuous 
distribution of trees. On the other hand it is believed that 
any work of this kind should be limited to trees which are 
now known only locally and which under changed conditions 
by distribution might prove valuable. It is hot the intention 
of the department to interfere in any way with legitimate trade. 
In fact it is believed that by the proper handling of the matter 
the trade can be stimulated by calling attention to the good 
things we have in our own country in a limited way. It is 
thought that by the distribution of a few rare trees and similar 
plants to different parts of the country, interest would be 
aroused which would result eventually to the benefit of all 
lines of horticulture.” 
It is to be remembered that it was along precisely these same 
lines of reasoning that the free distribution of seed was begun. 
The theory of introducing new varieties is all very well, but it 
is to be feared that the practice of sending out trees without 
cost by the United States Department of Agriculture will not 
conform strictly to the theory. 
However, the matter is in the hands of the legislative com¬ 
mittee of the American Association. 
In another column is Secretary Wilson’s explanation of the 
plans of the Department. 
THOMAS MEEHAN. 
We regret to announce the death of Thomas Meehan, the 
venerable head of the well known nurseries that bear his name 
in Germantown, Philadelphia. The sketch of his eventful life 
published in the National Nurseryman last April and the 
London comment in this issue indicate his services in the 
interest of horticulture. His work was of so enduring a nature 
that its influence will be felt as long as trees and flowers are 
cultivated. 
Mr. Meehan was born in England seventy-five years ago 
and came to this country in 1848 . He took a keen interest in 
public affairs, and was a member of city councils from 1882 
until the time of his death. Mr. Meehan was editor of The 
Gardeners’ Monthly Magazine from 1859 t0 J 889 . He was 
for sixteen years agricultural editor of Forney’s Weekly Press, 
and a few years ago, with his sons, he established Meehan’s 
Monthly. For twenty-three years he was senior vice-president 
of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Science. He was at 
one time member of the board of visitors of Harvard Univer¬ 
sity. He held the office of state botanist of Pennsylvania. 
Mr. Meehan was the author of a volume entitled “ The Amer¬ 
ican Handbook of Ornamental Trees.” 
EDIBLE HORSE CHESTNUTS. 
And now it is proposed to use horse chestnuts as food. It 
is stated that the horse chestnut contains besides starch and 
some sugar about 10 per cent, of bitter resin and fat oil and 27 
per cent, of albumen, which makes it richer in albumen even 
than peas and beans How to get rid of the bitter taste has 
been the problem. This, it is now stated, has been solved. 
After the brown shell has been removed, the body of the nut 
is pulverized and the powder saturated in a tightly-closed per¬ 
colator with pure alcohol or ether alcohol. After standing for 
a week at moderate temperature the resin has passed into solu¬ 
tion, and the fluid in which it is contained is drawn off. In 
